The accident happened when Day was just 13 years old. The car that she was in with her friends was struck by a train. Luckily, everyone managed to come out of the tragedy alive, but young Doris’ dancing career was halted.
Her right leg had been damaged so bad that doctors told her she wouldn’t walk for years – if ever again.
Doris Day was far from being the alcohol-loving, gun-toting girl from the prairie that Jane was. In fact, the two couldn’t have been any more different from one another in their actual lives. But Day’s amazing acting skills allowed her to portray her personality in the lighthearted musical comedy.
Day’s career began during Hollywood’s Golden Age, and took off thanks to her infectious smile and skills on screen.
The actress was born in 1922 into a musical family. Her father, William, was a music teacher and choirmaster. She first got into the industry through dance, performing around Cincinnati with her partner, Jerry Doherty.
But in 1937, she was involved in a car accident that took her out of commission - temporarily, anyways.
Can you imagine how this teenage girl was feeling, with all of her hopes and dreams for her future shattered by that one terrible moment? She spent a long time in the hospital, working on physical therapy to use her legs again.
While she was there, she started experimenting with her singing voice, singing along with music by Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller and Duke Ellington to pass the time during her stay, and discovered she actually had quite a talent for singing.
When Doris was 15, she may not have felt well enough to start training for dancing again, but she did decide to try her hand at professional music. First, she signed on to a local radio station as a female vocalist. But it was her on-air performances that caught the attention of big band artist, Barney Rapp.
It was with his band, Barney Rapp and his New Englanders, that her career really took off.